5 Things I Love About My Major

By: Reese Skiba, Rock PRSSA Member (IMC concentration)

Slippery Rock University regularly hosts an orientation for prospective students. As part of the orientation, students and professors from each major are organized into booths to provide information to interested students and their parents. I had the opportunity to represent the Department of Communication, Media & Sport Management at a recent orientation to encourage students and their parents to learn more about my amazing major—integrated marketing communication. The most common question I received after trying to persuade students to choose this school was "what do you like about your major?" I want to share with you five reasons why I love my major:

1. Expressing my creativity: I get the chance to express my creative side as a communication student through projects, writing and during classroom discussions. I have been able to complete projects including a case study on Starbucks, a six-minute video about Title IX and a poster for the track and field team. These are just a few examples of what I accomplished in my first two years, and I look forward to continuing to grow in all areas of design.

2. The community: The people in this field are incredibly supportive of students, whether faculty and other professionals. Every student I've asked advice of within the major has been kind and open. Professors and industry professionals have provided me feedback and networking opportunities to help me succeed. The community within my major has been nothing but positive!

3. Range of knowledge and skills: I have been able to obtain various skills and knowledge through my major. My coursework and involvement in Rock PRSSA, our university’s PRSSA chapter, have taught me skills such as digital design, public speaking, video production, editing, writing and other social media fundamentals. In public relations, it’s important to have a flexible set of skills to pursue as many job opportunities as possible.

4. Relevance to modern day trends: What I love most about communication is its everchanging qualities of technology, social media, writing styles and more. I find it interesting to stay up-to-date with the news and adapt to new trends in the field. Focusing on the present rather than the future helps motivate me.

5. Endless opportunities for postgraduates: Being a communication student provides me with the skills and opportunities to explore new career paths. I have the ability to choose if I want to enter wedding planning, work on a public relations team for an NFL organization or design logos for a startup organization. My major allows me to adapt to the possibilities of finding my true passion. I enjoy not being limited to a single direction but having the freedom to choose a career that excites me.

Communication coursework has been engaging since my very first class and continues to provide me with new opportunities. The ability to express my creativity, experience public relation activity first-hand and get a wide range of skills makes me excited for my future.